


A Second Chance

by PixeledPurple



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Fix-it fic, Gift Fic, Happy Ending, M/M, Post canon, Sappy Ending, Science, Trine - Freeform, everyone loves starscream, it just took him sacrificing himself to save the universe for them to realize it, starscream's a ghost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:54:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22107427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixeledPurple/pseuds/PixeledPurple
Summary: Post Unicorn fix-it fic:“I can’t take this.  I’m telling them.”“No not yet! I want to hear everyone mourning me.  They took my brilliance for granted, now they know what it’s like without me.  A sad, bleak world without Starscream-”“Starscream’s not dead,” Bumblebee blurted loudly.“Hmm, spoilsport,” Starscream pouted.
Relationships: Bumblebee/Starscream (Transformers)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 89





	A Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> 2018/2019 SecretSolenoid gift for luccy! I posted this on Tumblr last year but I guess I never crossposted here. X-posted with some minor edits.

“I can’t believe he did that. Starscream of all mechs,” Skywarp muttered.

“I’m sorry Star,” Thundercracker said. “I thought you’d be ok. You’re always ok. You’re Starscream.”

“I’m sorry Star. I said I trusted you. I don’t think you ever actually lied to me. I should have had more faith in you,” Wheeljack said with a sigh.

Optimus waited for everyone to speak their piece. "We gather here today to morn the loss of Starscream of Vos, and to honor his sacrifice. If not for him, we likely would not be here today.“

"It’s about time someone acknowledged how important I am,” Starscream said, crossing his arms.

“Starscream, shh!” Bumblebee chastised.

“Why? No on can hear me.”

Bee sighed, “I can hear you.”

“It’s too bad Megatron’s not here,” he said, ignoring him.

“He’s in prison Star.”

“As he should be! After everything he did to me!” he shouted. "I wonder how he would feel knowing I saved the universe.

“I can’t take this. I’m telling them.”

“No not yet! I want to hear everyone mourning me. They took my brilliance for granted, now they know what it’s like without me. A sad, bleak world without Starscream-”

“Starscream’s not dead,” Bumblebee blurted loudly.

“Hmm, spoilsport,” Starscream pouted.

Everyone looked at him. “What?” Thundercracker asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

“Bumblebee, there is no way Starscream could have survived that explosion,” Optimus said gently.

“There was no way I could have survived Shockwaves chronal drive singularity. But I did. And Starscream was the only one who could see me when I was trapped in infraspace. I don’t know why, we have… some kind of bond. But now… I see him.”

“You see Starscream?” Wheeljack asked. "Here? Right now?“

Bumblebee nodded, "He’s standing right next to me.” He got various looks from the bots there. Everything from pity, to hope, to flat out disbelief. “You know I was still here after I died...” he reminded them. He knew some of them, ok most of them still didn't believe that.

“Bumblebee, there really isn’t any evidence-”

“Wheeljack I remember it! I remember everything. How else could I know everything that happened while I was dead?”

“You actually see him? Standing next to you? And you can talk to him?” Skywarp asked.

Bumblebee nodded.

“No,” Thundercracker said flatly. "We’re his trinemates. If anyone would be able to see Starscream’s disembodied spark it would be us.“

Starscream scoffed, "After how you left me?”

“We haven’t been a trine for a long time TC,” Skywarp said sadly. “Not really.”

“I still don’t buy it,” Thundercracker folded his arms over his cockpit.

“Tell him maybe he’ll believe it when I tell everyone about the time he hit a spire and nearly crashed 30 stories down because he was so busy trying to compose a sonnet for that new seeker at the academy.”

Bumblebee glanced sideways at him, “Starscream wants me to remind you of when you hit a spire and almost crashed because you were writing a sonnet.”

Thundercracker’s jaw dropped, “What?”

“And Skywarp, used to teleport into my quarters unannounced, so I put up a dampening field. Next time he tried that, he teleported into the ceiling and was stuck there until I came home and turned it off.”

“Skywarp, he wants me to tell you about the time you got stuck in the ceiling of his quarters because of a dampening field he put up.”

“Starscream? Are- are you really here?” Skywarp asked, taking a step towards Bumblebee, or rather, the empty space next to him.

“Bumblebee, how do you know these things?” Optimus asked.

“And Optimus. Tell him that I’d be happy to divulge the details of the little conversation we had outside the council meeting that one time.”

“Starscream…”

“Hey, I haven’t said anything. Yet.”

Bumblebee sighed, “I’m sorry Optimus, but he wants me to mention a conversation outside a council meeting…”

Optimus’ optics went wide. Slag, Bumblebee thought. He was blackmailing Optimus now. He shot Starscream a glare. "He’s real. He’s here, just like I was. It was… lonely being a ghost. I didn’t like it, and Starscream shouldn’t have to go through what I did. We have to find a way to help him, to bring him back, like you helped me.“

Optimus and Wheeljack exchanged glances.

"Starscream I’m sorry! I’m sorry I left! I din’t think anything would happen to you! I was mad, I was wrong,” Thundercracker practically sobbed.

“Maybe it wasn’t all your fault TC,” Starscream said softly. "Maybe if I can come back, we can start over.“

"Starscream says-”

“Don’t say that!” Bumblebee jumped, looking up at him. Starscream sighed. "Just tell him… whatever,“ he said, looking away sadly.

Bumblebee looked at him for a minute. "Starscream says he doesn’t blame you, and he wants a second chance to have what you used to have.”

“I told you not to tell him that!” Starscream hissed.

“He... does?” Thundercracker asked, looking between Bumblebee and the empty air beside him.

“I want that too Star,” Skywarp said.

“Yeah, me too,” Thundercracker said, “If, I mean, you’re really real.”

Starscream reached out toward him, only to have his hand pass right through his plating. "Uh, now I know how you must have felt,“ he said, withdrawing back into himself.

"At least I know you’re real and not convinced you’re a hallucination,” Bumblebee smiled softly.

“What?” Wheeljack asked.

“Oh, nothing. So are you going to help me bring Starscream back?”

“Yes,” Skywarp said immediately. Thundercracker followed suit and nodded.

“After what he did to save us all, if Starscream is really trapped as you were, I do believe we owe it to him to do everything in our power to bring him back,” Optimus said after a moment. Bee thought he could detect a hint of reluctance in his tone, but he chose to ignore it.

***

It was months of work, trying to open a door to the infraspace where Starscream’s life force was trapped. Starscream spent nearly all his time with Bumblebee. The other had expected him to spend more time with his trine, even if they couldn’t see him. Skywarp and Thundercracker would come to him at times, they would have conversations through him. It was never anything overly personal, but it was still strange being a translator between dimensions.

Finally, after months and countless failed attempts, Wheeljack had figured it out. It would take time, he said, it was like throwing darts, their aim had to be perfect to be able to bring him back.

Starscream would vanish whenever the machine was turned on, only to return when they failed to hit their mark.

“It worked,” Wheeljack commed him one day. Bee had been busily going through a datapad and hadn’t even notice Starscream disappear.

“What?!”

“It worked. He’s back.”

Bumblebee transformed, driving as fast as he could through the corridors to the lab. "Starscream!“ He called, finally seeing the other corporeal again. He transformed, running up the last fee steps to the other and throwing his arms around him.

Starscream nearly shrieked in surprise, "Um, good to see you too Bee.” Bumblebee didn’t let go, and after a moment, Starscream reciprocated the hug, “It’s good to feel you too.” It sounded so stupid but if anyone would understand it would be Bumblebee. "I suppose I owe you now,“ he added after a minute.

"You don’t owe me anything Star,” Bumblebee said, still hugging him tightly. "I got exactly what I wanted.“

**Author's Note:**

> And it comes with a lovely illustration! https://pixeledpurple.tumblr.com/image/181719194979 (Yes my art. You have no one to blame but me.)


End file.
